8/9/2015

Solid. I think 4 stars is a bit generous, but I like a couple of the things they have going on enough. First off, the curry udon were very good, even if I did get them all over my clothes. Great curry flavor, not too spicy, and good lemongrass meatballs. I highly recommend backing those up with a side of the fries (split them, it's actually a big order), which come with a tasty shake-on seasoning and a really good curry mayo sauce. My fries came out WHITE hot, very very good. The prices are reasonable, the service is very fast, and they were quite friendly. I was kind of impressed at their ability to accommodate a 2 year old as well - they were ready to go with a hot dog option on a really nice house made roll with a side of french fries (which the 2 year old's parents and I ate with that curry mayo when the kid got full). Big plus for that - I don't know how many they go through, but I really don't expect a sort of hipster fusion place to be toddler friendly.

Others reported very good tacos and other items (I want to say a sort of fusion gyro? I'm forgetting already) and everyone was satisfied for not a crazy amount of cash. If I'm in the area again (which is infrequent, unfortunately) I would hesitate to stop by.

7/11/2015

Here's an example of how good food trumps everything else. We came on a Friday night around 8 pm and were happy to find that the restaurant wasn't too busy. We ordered a passion fruit lemonade, a belly dog, and a curry udon noodle. The passion fruit lemonade came in a carafe which was excellent, since you get a lot of it for three bucks. I was just expecting to get a glass of it, so good on them. The bad part is that it tasted nothing like passion fruit. It was super sour and felt like it came from a kids lemonade stand. That said, we couldn't stop drinking it! So just be aware that even though it says its passion fruit, its really just some good old fashioned lemonade.

So after we got our lemonade we had to wait 27 minutes until our entrees came out. 27! For a place that wasn't busy you would think they'd have the food out to you in 15 minutes, max. 27 is an excruciatingly long time to wait for your noms. That being said, it was worth the wait.

The belly dog isn't your classic hot dog, Its a hot GOD. They put fried egg noodles and pickled papaya on it with some spices that you've already read about here on yelp. But no one talks about the "bun". Its not a bun, its a thick slice of brioche or something. And its awesome. Perfectly toasted and soft on the inside, it was a nice surprise. A side of togarashi fries were welcome, since those are like four bucks on their own. The fries themselves are nothing special, just fries with some salt and spice. But the dipping sauce is really what takes it over the top. Its this kinda thai curry mayo that socks you in the mouth and then socks you again and again.

Next, the curry udon. While the portion itself isn't very large, its large in flavor. A completely unique dish that has an Indonesian style curry with black beans, chicken, basil, and lemongrass. A lot of lemongrass. It just hits that line of almost too much lemongrass, but manages to stay under it. I've eaten a lot of udon noodles, and these were some of the best cooked noodles that I've ever had. Super thick and chewey and provided that bite you're looking for. Phenomenal dish.

Even though both dishes are kinda small for $28 (with tip and a lemonade) and even though it took a half an hour to get our food, we would happily come back. Good food always wins, and this is a winner.

7/8/2015

Decor/cleanliness/environment: very clean and very spacious.  (1/1)
Service: very quick. You just have to go and order at the cashier first. Then find your own table and the staff will deliver the food to you.  (1/1)
Food:  I was kinda disappointed because my expectation was really high before I came in. My significant other and I ordered taco platter and belly dog. Taco platter is good but quantity is small. Belly dog tastes a bit weird. It is not that delicious as I expected to be.   (0/2)
Cost: $$$ !!!! With that small portion, it's too pricey for me.  (0/1)

• 

  Belly dog

  Belly dog
• 

  Menu

  Menu

6/14/2015

The hubby discovered this place awhile ago and we finally got to check it out for ourselves. We ordered the pork belly tacos and curry udon noodles as well as the tostones.

The tacos were pretty good and I definitely recommend getting it with pork belly (the other options are ground chicken or tofu). Loved the addition of kimchi with the tacos and pork belly was very fatty- which is how it should be. Pretty good.

The curry udon noodles were pretty good too. Udon noodles are my fave! Their thick noodles were spot on and the curry sauce was flavorful.

The hubby greatly enjoyed the tostones which are mashed up plantains which are then fried and topped with this chimchurri sauce which gave it a nice sour and salty kick.

Overall, an enjoyable lunch and I hope to go back to try out some other other dishes.

• 

  Pork belly tacos

  Pork belly tacos
• 

  Tostones

  Tostones
• 

  Curry udon

  Curry udon

4/25/2015

Eh.

I had such high hopes for this place especially because of the great yelp reviews.

We ordered the Belly Dog and my husband liked it. While the toppings were good (pickled papaya, egg noodles, and togarashi spiced fries) the actual hotdog wasn't anything special. I guess we were expecting a specialty wiener.

I ordered the the taco platter which had three steak tacos. This is where the 3 star ratting comes from.

The tacos were lukewarm when I got them and were complexly cold by the time I finished the first taco. The toppings were good and exciting since they aren't normally on tacos.

However, they were very chewy; while eating one I couldn't bite it into smaller pieces and actually choked. Obviously I couldn't enjoy a meal after that.

I like the fusion between the Latino and Asian flavors. The toppings were interesting and made for cool dishes. The beer menu is good The toppings were good and the lemonade was great.

However, based on just this one visit (and the whole choking thing) I can't give it any higher ratings.

• 

  Brussels sprouts appetizer.

  Brussels sprouts appetizer.
• 

  Taco platter.

  Taco platter.
• 

  Great presentation for the Belly Dog.

  Great presentation for the Belly Dog.

4/8/2015

YUM! I love this place! I live nearby and am tempted almost everyday to stop here when I get off at the Western blue line stop from work.

Every once in a while, I get a craving for a, erm, unhealthy I guess is the word, type of meal. But I don't want fast food cause, gross. A good sandwich with fries, washed away with beer. The Belly Shack is great for that. Get the Belly Dog with fries. It's so delicious and unique! A really good juicy hot dog, topped with egg noodles and pickled papaya. And that sauce is spicy and sweet. So good you will be thinking about it later. The fries are also awesome and come with a yummy curry mayo. They sell beer here too which is always a plus for small joints like this. And if you don't want a hot dog and fries, try the udon noodles cause those are good too!

• 

  Belly Dog

  Belly Dog

4/3/2015

I went here for dinner w/ some friends on a Friday night. The restaurant was 3/4 packed and by the time we left, all the tables were full, so the place definitely gets a lot of traffic. I ordered:

-Taco platter w/ Korean BBQ beef: this was a good dish. The tacos come deconstructed (w/ 5 tortillas), so you can make your tacos as big or as small as you'd like. The beef tastes like your standard KBBQ beef - nothing special here, but still good nonetheless.

-Togarashi fries: these were pretty damn good. If you like salty (which I LOVE), then definitely get these fries. They're crunchy and have a generous amount of togarashi sprinkled on top. The curry mayo is awesome, too.

-Soft serve: this was amazing! When we went, it was a vanilla soft serve that came w/ mangos and tapioca. The soft serve was creamier than your normal soft serve, which I think made the dessert even better.

Note: one of my friends had the Curry Udon Noodle and said it was "meh" and that he felt like the ingredients were just "thrown together". I didn't try his curry udon noodles, but I trust his judgment.

I should probably add that I'm from California, where we have a ton of food trucks and restaurants similar to Belly Shack, so the Belly Shack concept isn't new to me (which is probably why I wasn't blown away by this place). However, I can definitely see how someone trying this type of Asian fusion food for the 1st time would absolutely love it. If I were to come back, I'd want to try the Belly Dog and I would for sure order the togarashi fries and the soft serve again.

• 

  Vanilla soft serve w/ tapioca and mango

  Vanilla soft serve w/ tapioca and mango
• 

  Togarashi fries

  Togarashi fries
• 

  Taco platter - beef

  Taco platter - beef

4/27/2015

Holy. Mother. Of. God.  This place was awesome.
Party of 3, Sunday afternoon, 3pm.

MUST orders:
**CURRY UDON** this is NO ordinary udon.  it's not a soup.  it's perfectly cooked udon noodles bathing in a red lemongrass curry made with black bean, corn, and ground chicken.  so incredibly good.  

**BELLY DOG** this is NO ordinary hot dog.  it's east coast styled bun - where you lop off half of loaf of bread and slice it down the middle to make a bun.  then jam a delicious beef hot dog in there with some crazy spicy-sweet sauce, and top it off with ramen-like noodles and pickled papaya.  served with a side of skinny fries dashed with spices and served with curry mayo.  

Brussel sprouts: sautéed with balsamic and bacon
Belly Burger: burger, fried onions, over easy egg and a chili sauce.  fresh tasty bun.  very good but not better than the curry udon or belly dog
Passion fruit lemonade: fresh, tasty, refreshing

It's right under the El tracks of the western blue line station - definitely worth finding.  Parking is street and can be terrible.  you can BYOB.

5/7/2015

Finally went back to Belly Shack for the first time in over 3 years. I live pretty much across the street so it's a little embarrassing to even admit that, but I digress. Went in on a Tuesday evening at about 7pm. We were on our way home after landing at O'Hare and just wanted an easy take out dinner without having to resort to eating fast food. There were only 2 or 3 other people in at that time.

I had the curry udon noodle which was delicious and I can't wait to have again. My husband had the belly dog, which was even better than I remembered. The togarashi fries were perfectly spiced and especially good with the dipping sauce. Our friend had the beef taco platter, which I was happy to see they packaged the toppings and corn tortillas separately.  

Prices were average and our bill for 3 people was just under $40. As always, the Belly restaurants don't disappoint. I will say, though, that as much as I like it, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here.  

Only bummer was they wouldn't let us use one of our "a la card Chicago" cards. The rules state they are for dine-in only, but does that really matter at a place with no waiter service? We'll just have to make our way back again before the end of the year.

6/6/2015

The best and weirdest hot dog I've ever had!!! So delicious, and the whole time I was like "what am I eating right now??"

Cherry blossom green iced tea was delicious too.

• 

  Belly dog

  Belly dog

4/4/2015

I was surprised to see this place was half empty--no, half full--on a Friday night at 7:30 but we were able to walk right up to the counter and place our orders. Started with the sake margarita. Even though the mix tasted like it was store bought/from a bottle, the sake in there made it interesting. It wasn't very strong, but I'd order it again just for the novelty. I got the lettuce wraps with chicken, and shared the Brussels sprouts with my boyf, who ordered the beef taco platter. Both the lettuce wraps and tacos are deconstructed which can be good if you're a picky eater and bad if you're lazy. We agreed we would've liked more spice to the meats. Both are sort of small portions. The Brussels sprouts were heavy on the bacon which is always a great thing. My friends had the soft serve and pretty much inhaled it, so I want to try it if I ever go back!

• 

  Brussels sprouts sides

  Brussels sprouts sides
• 

  Sake margarita

  Sake margarita

5/24/2015

Ate the burger and split the hot dog. Both were huge let downs based on the reviews.

Essentially too much Asian fusion going on and the overdose of whatever sauce they put on didn't help.

To put you in my shoes, I'm now eating Tums to settle my stomache and immediately taking out my trash to remove the weird stench that is now lingering in my home.

Fortunately its Memorial Day weekend so
I can spend my Monday in the bathroom instead of the office. Good for me.

10/17/2014

We found this restaurant right off of the Western stop of the Blue Line. We were hungry from our plane ride and I just wanted to explore to find something new. Talking to a pleasant lady in the train who told us to go to this taco joint off of Western, but we had to take the bus, and needed to eat right away.

We stumbled upon the Belly Shack and we can't wait to come back. The belly dog is yummy. However, we didn't have enough noodles in our hot dog. I wish that I did because it would have a little more texture to put it close to perfect.

The tinto is only okay. I guess, I drink too much to even get a buzz off of it. The aftertaste is a little odd like it has aspartame in it. . Usually, the blood orange soda I'll drink is Pellegrino. I guess, it must have been an additive.

The vanilla soft serve with caramel was really delicious!! The server was so nice, she gave me an extra spoon just in case I wanted to taste it. Great idea.
Also, the restroom was clean. Yeah!

• 

  The Belly Dog might be my favorite Chicago hot dog!

  The Belly Dog might be my favorite Chicago hot dog!
• 

  Vanilla soft serve with caramel

  Vanilla soft serve with caramel

7/20/2015

I see what you guys are trying to do here. Maybe when you first opened, you were trying really hard to get people in the door, build up some street creed, do something different. I get it. But I had what I can only describe as the worst burger of my life here this past weekend. Like, inedibly bad. It was way overcooked (like, chewy) and not seasoned properly at all. I ate the fries, which were fine. The lemongrass chicken gyro was slightly better, but overall also pretty disappointing. Really too bad.

6/17/2015

I've eaten at Belly Shack on multiple occasions. Their food is normally pretty tasty, albeit super greasy. I was a big fan of their old menu -- not so much of their new menu.

Wait time is always much longer than you'd expect. I just waited over 15 minutes for just an order of tostones. Please, please let me know if there is going to be a long wait. I don't want to waste the majority of my lunch hour waiting for my lunch.

12/25/2014

I ordered the tostones and chimichiurri sauce. Really enjoyed it while I was eating it. Crunchy and fried to perfection. I didn't enjoy the sauce though. It was too acidic. Perhaps an aioli would have made a better pairing.

Um... and then... it hit me. I think I got food poisoning from this... I'm rather positive actually. I crawled up in fetal position for the rest of the evening. Thank God there's Tums.

I don't think the initial gratification is worth the pain that follows.

3/1/2015

Came to eat here the other evening with my family and, I swear we ordered everything on the menu.  Hats off to the passion fruit lemonade - ah-mazing.  We had:
- Taco platter, which satisfied my 12 yo nephew, but was a little bland.
- Wheat Berry Bowl - interesting, but the grain was a little too tough, I thought
- Tostones - absolutely out of this world.  The chimichurri sauce was soooo good and fresh
- Vegetarian Ramen - tasty, nothing to write home about
- Hot & Sour tortilla soup - yummy, but aside from the hominy was a lot like every other tortilla soup I have ever had.

The girls who worked the counter were polite but not over engaging and it irked me a little that they did a "last call" right at 9.  They should have waited until we were going.  If not for that, I would have rated this place a 4, but it's the little things.

• 
• 

  Berry bowl

  Berry bowl

7/26/2015

What can I say about Belly Shack?

Causal
Fast
Clean
Good

My friend and I were out in the city for a girls day/night. I randomly pulled up yelp and started searching for a place for dinner. Both of us didn't quite know what we wanted to consume but we had a general idea the food had to be unique. Belly Shack caught our eyes.

We ordered two meals for the sharing and two drinks.

Belly Dog: big enough to share and hit the spot without being overwhelmed. At first I was bit hesitant due to the fact I DO NOT EAT HOT DOGS. If and when I do there are specific requirements the dog needs to hit. The hot dog used for the Belly Dog was quite tasty and juicy. The overall taste to the Belly Dog was sweet, spicy enough for me not to chug down water, and slightly salty. The best part of the belly dog was the bun. The fact it held in all the ingredients stuffed on top of, the bun was a bit sweet and equally toasted & soft (the perfect combo). The bun brought together the whole taste, which I love as did my friend. The fries and dipping sauce were good.

Lemongrass Chicken Gyro: The gyro was supposedly a special that day. I enjoyed the meal except I could do without the slices of the chicken gyro. I understand the Belly Shack was going towards the healthy gyro but a gyro is not a gyro without the greasiness. I would order the item again, don't get me wrong but I wish the slices of gyros was grilled or something that gave it some texture to the overall sandwich. My friend and I replaced the fries with plantain chips. Big mistake. We should have kept the fries. The plantain were not special.

Passion Fruit Lemonade: I hate, hate passion fruit especially the flavor in drinks. Passion fruit always takes fake and sugary. BUT THE PASSION FRUIT LEMONADE WAS DELIGHTFUL and REFRESHING. The passion fruit gave the drink a bit of something-something.

Sake Margarita: There was a third word but I don't remember it. After a few sips I cared less about the drink (didn't help the passion fruit lemonade tasted a lot better). The combination of the food and the margarita just didn't click with me. I don't know if anyone else had that issue but I did. I knew I should have finished the margarita before eating.

The service was quick for us. The female working the cashier was friendly and nice. She awkwardly stood at the counter waiting for us to make our decision. The price matched the quality of the food, always a plus. The ambience was clean and nice. The background music was indeed background. As for the design, I enjoyed looking at the decor. It fit with the food in my opinion.

Would go back for the belly dog and the passion fruit lemonade.

5/29/2015

This is one of those places that is cool just cuz it's trying to be neat and unique with its decor. Not because the food is exceptionally well.

The food IS good but not really at the price.

4/17/2015

The Jibarito
Belly Dog
Tostones
Togarashi Fries
Brussels Sprouts
Curry Udon Noodle
Lettuce Wraps
Taco Plattter

These are some of my favorite things in the entire city (and that means in the entire world; no place has food as good as Chicago. No. Place.) This place raises the bar.

Too bad it's only BYO on Sundays now :(

5/28/2015

I got the pork belly banh mi and my sister got the half chicken entree. We shared the special soft serve (vanilla soft serve, key lime drizzle, graham cracker bits, and coconut tapioca).

The pork belly banh mi came with these amazing plantain chips. Super good and not that expensive (under $10). The half chicken entree was a little on the salty side but came with this really good rice that sopped up all the spices!

The special soft serve was incredible - highly recommend. Perfect for sharing!

Plus was the music was awesome. They played everything from Jimmy Eat World to Journey!!

6/2/2015

I've passed by this place (literally) hundreds of times and just stopped in to check it out. This place is amazing!

We had their burger which was the daily special. This is a sad thing because it was the BEST. BURGER. EVER. From the bread, to the crunch, to the egg (I usually don't like that) this was a game changer.

I'm still sitting here but had to write this so I wouldn't miss any of the details of this meal. A true testament to how good this place is.

7/13/2015 Updated review

This has become a favorite for us - even now with kids. Love the togarashi fries with curry mayo, and the tostones. the pork belly bahn mi is delicious, and my 2yo son loves the chicken and chorizo rice. I'm sad the boricua is gone, but always enjoy and look forward to what they have next.

12/6/2014

What in the world?!?!?! 4 stars 700 reviews?! Did something go wrong when I came in or something?!

The food was terrible! It was SO FREAKING BLAND. We could have cooked at home instead.

Got the curry with pork, hot dog, and quinoa salad of some sort. And it was $30 for all of it. I'm never coming back!

9/30/2014

LOVE Belly Shack! Our friends live right down the block from Belly Shack and it is a favorite of ours whenever we go.

The vibe in the restaurant is causal and hip and the Korean / Puerto Rican fusion is an incredible combo.

I'm sad they got rid of their Brussel Sprouts side dish... we had that last year and it was bomb! Any of their pork dishes are awesome and I recently fell in love with their Veggie Burrito. It is a perfect size (not too big) and the carrot ginger sauce it comes with is mind blowing. Belly Shack also had some fab looking desserts, although I haven't dabbled in their desserts yet.... until next time!

Prices here are great too! Overall, a fantastic and addicting spot!

5/12/2015

Get the fries, the jibarito sandwich, the hominy soup and the roasted chicken. Everything is so yummy and flavorful, you cant go wrong. My fave combo are jibarito sandwich and fries with dipping sauce.

I love the fusion of flavors.

7/11/2014

This is how you Belly Shack properly:

+ Belly Dog (because it's a hot dog with pickled green papaya and NOODLES on it. I mean, come on.)
+ Kimchi Potato Salad (two of the best things on the planet together? This is a no brainer).
+ Togarashi Spiced Fries with Curry Mayo (you already get some fries with your Belly Dog, but can you really say no to more? Togarashi spiced! Curry mayo! Flavor party! You're invited!)
+ Lemonade of the Day (I adore lemonade and they have fun flavors! Last time, it was passionfruit. Passionfruit flavored everything is a dream. You get a tiny little pitcher of it too. Super cute!)
+ Huckleberry Lime Soft Serve (cold and creamy and tart and refreshing. No better way to polish off a slightly indulgent meal.)

Some more deets:
- Located under the Western Blue line
- It is casual quick-serve. Order at the counter, grab a number, go get your own water, etc (BUT YOU GOT LEMONADE, REMEMBER?), and sit down. They'll bring your food out to you.
- They also deliver, for you lucky ducks that live in their delivery zone.
- Don't try to go on Monday.
- Everything else on the menu is delicious, but I can never pass up a hot dog with noodles on it.

6/11/2015

My first time at belly shack, I ordered beef boricua of the daily special, it was pretty good. It's not that big portion or size. I also ordered a passion fruit lemonade which was very good. I'm just a little disappointed that I had to pay more then $10 for my food. I only bought for myself. I may come back. But I would recommend this place to my friends.

7/7/2014

The restaurant is located beneath the Western L stop on the Blue Line, which is pretty cool. It's very urban, and the inside decor matches very well with that theme.

The menu is pretty small, so there isn't really much to choose from. It's a bit underwhelming...

We ordered:

Asian Pork Meatball sandwich: stuffed with Somen noodles, Korean chili paste and mint. I don't know what was going on with this sandwich. The somen noodles don't make any sense with it, nor does it necessarily complement the flavors or the textures of the sandwich. The meatballs were just OK, and the sauce was maybe a little too sweet. I did not appreciate the mint with this, either. I just don't know if all the flavors are incorporated to balance each other out in this dish.

Korean BBQ Beef: with kimchi, ssam paste and scallions; served with flat bread. This dish was pretty good. I just feel like I could make something like this at home, a little more fitting to my taste buds.

I think I shouldn't get my hopes up too much for this kind of fusion food. I'm almost always disappointed...Sorry, I really did try...

7/26/2015

Wow. I was really impressed by the food here. Menu Is small, but I think that must be how they do the items they do so well. Can't wait to try more items next week here- definitely coming back! I also can't wait to recommend it to vegetarian friends because their vegetarian options are fantastic. Well done!

7/4/2014

Great Asian fusion!

There's a variety of Asian fusion in Chicago area from low-end to high-end. And this is definitely one of the must-have.

Belly Shack has interesting decor. It is really fitting for it's location underneath the blue line El.

I ordered the Toragashi fries with the Pork Meatball Sandwich. The meatball was really good and topped with noodles. The fries are seasoned with a bit of chili powder and included a sweet mustard dipping sauce, and is salty and sweet combination. The meal is filling and satisfying.

Belly Shack is in a great location, accessible by El, and the area around has a lot of street parking.

1/31/2015

I can't believe I waited so long to eat here. Absolutely delicious food, from appetizers to main course to desserts, even their drinks are amazing! We ordered tostones, togarashi fries, hot and sour soup, curry udon noodles, chicken taco platter and roasted chicken! ALL of them were so delightful and bursting with flavors! Their donuts are a must, as well as, their cold coffee!! Loved this place and will visit again!!

1/29/2015

I'm going to get the bad out of the way first on this review.   The Yuzu margarita was just barely drinkable. I didn't like it much at all. Far too acidic and not well balanced.   Other than that the actual food was great.  I had no idea what I should order so I ended up deciding on the togarashi fries. They were really tasty and a little bit spicy.   I also enjoyed the brussel sprouts that did that played into those classic combination of salt from the bacon with an Asian flare from the soy sauce.  The balsamic brought a nice acid as well.  As far as my entree goes, I ended up ordering a sandwich that I remember being OK but honestly can't recall any other details about it.  There were lots of things on the menu that I was interested in trying, but my aversion to kimchi kept me away.  All things considered it was a good place for a quick meal.

3/11/2015

So first of all, this review is only for the lechon ramen.

Obviously, this is not a traditional Japanese ramen. Definitely some Latin inspired flavors going on here. It's pretty much ramen noodles in a pork broth, thin slices of pork (think like cheesesteak thin) cubes of salami, scallions, and crispy tortilla strips. (Also there were like 2 random pieces of broccoli or broccolini stalk in there? Didn't know if that was intentional..)

Noodles- Overcooked. Okay, so this bowl of ramen was at a whopping $13 + tax, which came out to nearly $15. I feel like once you enter the $15/bowl price range, you cannot afford to overcook the noodles! They better be perfect! Even though it is a fairly decorated dish with a lot of flavors going on, the noodles are the main component that helps the other ingredients come out. If the noodles are soft and falling apart, the dish is does not work.

Broth- rich, ideal viscosity, not too thick, not too thin, and this is a mark that a lot of Chicago ramen joints fail to hit. I would imagine it had a nice strong pork flavor, but the broth was very much overpowered by the salami taste, which had a strong sweetness to it, and also a slightly dirty pork flavor. But about the sweetness, I understand that this is a fusion dish, so it's okay to veer from the traditional Japanese pork broth. My issue is that the flavors should stay within the salty realm and not have any sort of sweetness. Because it is a rich, fatty pork base, it matches better with saltiness. Sweet flavors don't complement it and often make me feel a little sick.

Pork&Salami- this is a very meaty ramen. I will give props to the thin pork slices, especially because they were very well cooked, and a good variation of the Japanese pork belly. It worked really because they were lean slices of meat that were cooked long enough so that they melted in your mouth.

The salami I felt was excessive and obtrusive. There was quite a bit of pork slices already, and adding salami on that was just too much meat, especially considering that, other than the small sprinkling of scallions, there were no vegetables. 2 different kinds of pork in a pork broth is not what I'm looking for. Also, like I said before, the flavor of the salami was sweet and strange, which flavored the entire dish in a distasteful way.

Tortilla strips were a nice touch. Thin, perfectly crispy, added a nice texture to the dish.

Seems like a cool restaurant, but I'm not in love with the ramen, especially with its $15 price tag. Especially because it's such an overly-trendy item in the city right now. Belly Shack seems like it has some creativity that other Asian/fusion spots in the city are lacking. I would like to see them do something a little more unique, and sets them apart from what the others are all doing.

3/22/2015

I've read other reviews saying the food was very bland. My boyfriend and I ordered two different dishes and both were very flavorful. You can definitely taste the different influences in the dishes.

The only complaint was the size of the orders were much smaller than expected. Two orders were $27 and each order came in about half of the take out box they were placed in. We could've gotten more of our money's worth near the same location.

9/20/2014

So this is my second time here and the last time was easily 2 yrs ago but I've been craving to return for a long time. Now is the time to test whether they're as good as my memory keeps telling me they are!

First off the Tostones side dish with chimichurri sauce. Yup, first point to my memory. They're crispy, tangy, bursting with flavour and probably way too much for me to eat alone. Good thing I like a challenge!

Main course I chose the Korean BBQ beef with kimchi and steamed buns. Good solid kimchi that I'm not sure is store bought or made in house but really good nevertheless. The beef though is the center piece of this meal and could stand happily on it's own. Juicy, extremely well marinated and the Korean BBQ flavour will coat the inside of your mouth well after you're done swallowing. However, it's always a shame to leave behind the residual sauce/gravy on the plate when you know it tastes so darn good. Viola, steamed buns!! The chef who put this dish together knows what he's doing. I admit without guilt that I mopped up every last bit of sauce with the buns and returned an extremely clean plate to the kitchen :)

I know it's lunch time but a great balancer to the meal was the sake-margarita, how could I resist!

Overall the decor is simple but cool, they don't pretend towards fancy service or interiors and that accents the great food more than anything else. Would I come here again, been there, done that...and probably gonna do it again!!

Gonna walk away now, listening to my memory saying "I toooold you so!!"

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  Korean BBQ beef, Tostones and sake margarita!

  Korean BBQ beef, Tostones and sake margarita!

3/7/2015

Great food. Literally some of the better fresher tasting food I had while in Chicago and it was cheaper then all the others as well. Really enjoyed it. I had a scallop dish with polenta, other people had chicken and rice and the taco dish and they all raved about it!

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  Scallops with polenta

  Scallops with polenta

12/30/2014

Thought it was very good all the way around.  A little on the sweet side for me which is fine it is Korean but wasn't so in love with brown rice bowl and all the dark meat.  Fries, those cheese egg rolls and the chicken noodle were excellent and I had them for takeout.  Also downloaded the app and it gave me $5 off bill.  Give it a try I will again

1/18/2015

Interesting combinations of asian and american foods. I have been twice and not been disappointed. If you're looking for some flair and flavor Belly Shack can definitely offer that.

Also above all try the custard.

12/21/2014

This was one tasty meal! We stopped in on a wednesday night for dinner and quickly ordered and got a seat. We had the bacon brussel sprouts, plantain chips, and kimchi/beef plate. Each item was a nicely sized portion with so much flavor. The prices weren't bad for the quality and I will definitely be back.

6/19/2014

It's cool place and the menu seemed innovative.  But the service and food are just average.

Best thing my cousin and I tried was the fries with curry sauce! If you come here and you don't get it, you're a fool. It is the ONLY reason I gave this review 4 stars.

Everything else was just meh. I had the Korean bbq beef. Didn't love that I had to make my own little sandwhich using tiny little pita pockets and the beef was a super chewy. The hot dog with noodles was good, but probably wouldn't order it again. The tostones were good but I wasn't crazy about them!

Probably won't be back. But I'd recommend the fries with curry sauce to everyone!

12/19/2014

I went here for lunch yesterday and had the daily special which was a roasted pork bowl with a coconut rice. It was delicious! My friend had the meatball sandwich and she said it was amazing. They have a pretty good beer selection and the decor is very cozy.

3/8/2015

Food tasted great and the service was spot on. The portions are pretty small though, so if your appetite is pretty large a different place would probably work better.

If you're looking for a place to grab a beer and have some fantastic food while you relax, this is a great spot.

6/16/2014

Asian fusion in a casually trendy setting. Entrees are around $10. Though it's a very short menu, I appreciate that each item is unique and tasty, too. I've tried all of the entrees and you can't really go wrong with any one of them. Be warned that portions are probably small for men of all shapes and sizes. Also, they kinda skimp on the good stuff (meat). For instance, the meatball sandwich is stuffed full of noodles with maybe 5-6 small meatballs; be prepared to carb-load if you order said sandwich. The Togarashi fries are a must. It's sprinkled with the most magical concoction of powders and served alongside an amazing dipping sauce. I only wish I had the recipe!

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  Full menu

  Full menu
• See all photos from Sara T. for Belly Shack

3/3/2015

YUM. I think that's the best word to describe this place - they have a smaller menu but everything I have tried on it has been excellent. They have vegetarian and meat options, which I appreciate. The dishes are creative and combine Asian and Latin American cuisine - really cool.

It is casual: you order at the counter, they give you a number, and then they bring you the food. It is a small place, so if you come on a Friday or Saturday night you might have to wait a bit to sit down. It is BYOB and a great place to get a casual dinner with friends.

4/25/2015

Fun and interesting place with a very chill, casual vibe. I love their selection of sodas and beers as well as the rotating specials. The Boricua sandwich is great and I really love the tostones and kimchi.

2/8/2015

Last night we waited a long time for our food. Granted the place was packed but how long does it take to make a Belly Dog?

When we did get our food, it was wonderful. Great flavors.  A bit chincy on the portions with the taco platter but the Belly Dog was very filling.  

They changed their menu and got rid of their Korean jibarito!!!! I'm sooooooooo sad about that !!!! I hope it returns to their menu!

8/2/2014

You know, I absolutely loved this place when I first went, and to be fair, the food maintains it's absolute awesomeness. It's unfortunately the service that kinda stinks. I'm not sure how the kitchen is run, but often my friends and I will all get our food at crazy different intervals with bits and pieces of the meal rolling in over the course of a 20 minute period. There have been multiple occasions now when one person will be sitting with no food while everyone else has everything they've order. That's disappointing. Another time, we waited at the counter for ten minutes, ready to order (it was literally just us in the restaurant), while the cashier chatted with a pal. When my brother asked politely if we could order, the cashier gave him a nasty look, finished her conversation, and THEN (another two minutes later) took our order. Rude!

The food however is always delicious. I'm obsessed with the plaintain chips in chimmychurry sauce (Tostones), and the BBQ is always glorious. Definitely check it out if you want some tasty, uniquely flavored Korean-Cuban fusion food, but be prepared for a possibly weird service experience.

Pro tip: BYOB!

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  Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, and tostones! This is the kind of food you crave. CRAVE.

  Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, and tostones! This is the kind of food you crave. CRAVE.

2/22/2015

Please bring your old menu back ! I'm disappointed that jebaritos are gone. That's my fav on your menu. Also, the Brussel  sprouts .
I used to be your regular customer but after you change the menu, only been there twice .

5/17/2014

In a world that's getting ever more crowded with Asian Fusion places,  Belly Shack stands out.  Modern decor, good service and really good food makes this joint a keeper.  The Belly Dog, Fries, and fusion dipping sauce (creamy, with curry notes and some heat) is something to behold.   Thumbs up on the Ssam, too.   The pork meatball sandwich didn't do it for me ( I detected fish sauce, which doesn't work for my palate).  
If only I didn't have to schlep out to Western and Milwaukee...

2/5/2015

If I had written this review a year ago - or even 3 months ago - I would have given it 5 stars.  Belly Shack had always been one of my favorite places for a quick, satisfying meal beneath the tracks...  It was one of the few places that made my list of recommendations to friends and visitors. (My all-time favorite sammy - the Boricua plantain sandwich - so unique and flavorful!  The brown rice bowl a close second....)

Anyway - I visited again recently, excited to consume one of my favorites.  That was - until I realized we faced an entirely new menu.  We tried several items (wheat berry bowl, tacos and blackened cauliflower), and while the food was good, it didn't meet our expectations or satisfy our cravings in the least.

I'm all for adding new items to freshen things up, but when you've got a solid menu, it's not a great idea to spring a complete overhaul on loyal customers, but that's just my two cents.

Needless to say, we won't be racing back any time soon unless they bring back some of the old staples.  Thumbs down. :0(

1/11/2015

The fusion of Asian and Latin cuisine in Belly Shack was very well done. The Belly dog was amazing, crunchy, sassy and has bite. No matter how amazing the dog is, the Togarashi fries taste even better. Fries with Togarashi blends perfectly with the curry mustard sauce that was included. The Korean BBQ Beef was tender and flavorful and the hot buns compliment the richness of the beef perfectly. The price is a little expensive for my taste but the food was great. I could still taste the flavors in my mouth.

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  Korean BBQ Beef

  Korean BBQ Beef
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  Belly Dog with Togarashi fries

  Belly Dog with Togarashi fries

9/26/2014

I'm a huge Bill Kim fan, as his homemade Kimchi makes me all warm inside! Haha
I actually live down the street from Belly Shack, and somehow I'm not there enough.
I love everything in this place especially the ice cream with bacon (yes they serve ice cream with bacon on top & it's delish, but it's only seasonal).

I urge you to try Belly Shack ASAP! In fact, I need to take myself there ASAP also!

5/4/2015

Holy amazing! The Belly Burger was heaven on earth. It was a burger, fried onions, over easy egg and a chili sauce. The bun wasn't your regular bun and I'm not sure sure what heavenly bread they used but it was fresh and warm and delicious. I came here by myself and if anyone say me vacuum style devour this burger they would have thought I hadn't eaten in months. That's how good it was.

4/14/2015

They changed out their menu and Im pleased to report the lechon ramen is good.  Been looking for a reliable place around the hood to get ramen you can do pickup. Found it. I'm a happy camper

4/12/2015

Mmmm...belly dog and togarashi fries. So delish. Let's not forget their tostones. Only reason it's 4 stars instead of 5 is because I've always said it's a little pricey. However, every so often you just ha e to give into temptation.

2/25/2014

Came here on a Sunday for lunch. Heard a lot about it from friends but that may be bad since my expectations were pretty high then.  First walking in, the atmosphere is pretty cool.  The design of the place, with it's stools and community table in the middle are pretty neat. You could either order at the counter or sit down and they'll bring a menu out to you.

So the gf and I got the Korean BBQ Beef, a Belly Dog, and Togarashi Spiced Fries. I didn't know the Belly Dog came with the fries, I'm not too good at reading and paying attention to details, but we had so many fries, I wish the lady would have mentioned that. My mistake though, can't fault them for that. Korean BBQ Beef I really wanted to like but I couldn't get myself to like it to be honest. Comparing it to other beef bulgogi's, it just wasn't up there on my list. The Belly Dog was pretty good. I liked how it was a big hot dog and not just the usual small ones that some places just buy in bulk.  Egg noodles and the papaya added good flavor to it.  In reality though, it's just a hot dog with stuff thrown on it.

Togarashi fries were alright. Seemed like it was just generic fries covered in seasoning. It was good seasoning though, pretty spicy. I'm not a curry fan so I didn't really care for the curry mayo. Overall the place is alright, I'll have to try something different though if I ever go back.

1/22/2014

Korean fusion is quite the craze but Belly Shack takes it to a new level.

There's nothing new about Korean cuisine but the combinations on the menu are unique and creative. The Belly Dog was topped with a slaw with Korean flavors and a spicy mayo with a pita like bread instead of a bun. It was $9 but it also came with an order of their togarashi fries with a curry mayo. The combination was awesome and I would order it again for sure.

The boricua would be the love child of a Puerto Rican father and a Korean mother. It's basically a jibarito with fried plantains, bulgogi (Korean marinated beef), rice, and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) - another delicious combination of taking an Asian twist on a Chicago original.

Belly Shack isn't your typical Korean taco joint but it's definitely a Mecca for Asian fusion. Rub my belly for good luck because I just had Belly Shack.

10/1/2014

Located literally right under the train tracks parking sucks. This spots different, the dark metallic grey tone was a little different  for a spot like this but whatever. I got the belly dog, the flavors were great but I didn't like how the bun was so big. The meat to bread ratio was ridiculous. The tostones were very flavorful as well. These Asian fusion flavors work and I deff will be back for more.

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  Belly dog

  Belly dog
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  Tostones

  Tostones
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3/12/2014

Am I missing something here?  I've been to Belly Shack a couple times and have not been blown away like a lot of folks that have reviewed this spot.

I've sampled the Belly Dog, Meatball Sandwich and Organic Brown Rice with Tofu.  Although nothing has been terrible, it hasn't been great either.

One thing I absolutely love is the Togarashi Spiced Fries.  They are perfectly crisp with a hint of heat.

I'll stick with Urban Belly and Belly Q.

5/20/2013

WHAT'S THAT RUMBLING?

At first I thought it was my Belly but then realized we were under the EL tracks or maybe it was both.

I am a big fan of customer service and I was not a fan of the front of the house here. The girl at the front counter looked like she hated it here. Her negative vibe was so not taking me to a happy place. How was I suppose to be happy? Doesn't she realize I've been dreaming of this visit for months? She was a complete Debbie Downer.

The first thing I didn't like was that she read the special sandwich off of a dirty post it note. It was a Burger and did not seem that complicated. It was almost 6pm. Couldn't she had memorized it by now? She also read it with no passion. I couldn't even tell you what was on it 2 seconds, after she was done reading the post it note. Again sell me the special and make me want it.

The second thing I didn't like was the attitude I got when I asked for no mint on my sandwich.  She looked at me in a snotty voice and said, "We don't make any modifications!" I was a little shocked at how abrupt her delivery was.  Maybe a "I'm sorry" would have sounded better.

I also didn't like the fact that the kitchen couldn't just not add mint to the top of my sandwich.  That seems a little arrogant.  What if I was allergic to mint?  I can understand many kitchens do not want to deal with special orders because it slows down the kitchen. But it was 5:30pm and we were the only people in here ordering food. The restaurant was empty.  Would it be that hard to just hold the mint?
Apparently yes according to Debbie Downer.

I was so torn. Part of me wanted to just walk out with the unhappy attitude at the front counter but my desire to try the Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich kept me from walking. I was so close to my tasting my dream.

I decided to try and keep moving forward and placed my order for the #3 Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich stuffed with Somen Noodles, Korean Chili Paste & Mint. Yes I was getting mint no matter what.

I sat and waited.  I noticed the black egg shell sound proofing on the ceiling put in place to keep the sounds of the EL quiet.  It really didn't work but an A for effort.

My sandwich finally arrived and delivered by Debbie Downer. I was a little torn. First I was happy to finally try this sandwich.  The pork meatballs were delicious. In fact, I would be happy with just a bowl of these pork balls. The bread was tasty and toasted perfectly. I did have to use a fork to remove all of the mint from the top of my sandwich.  The Somen noodles were cold. Are they suppose to be cold? It was kind of a weird combination between the hot and the cold. I also loved the Korean Chili paste but there was not a lot of it on there. I could have used some more but I was too afraid to even talk to Debbie Downer at the front counter.  I just heard her yelling at me and saying, "No extra sauce for you.  Didn't you hear me the first time? No modifications!"  In fact, it would have been nice if some of the sauces were available on the table or at the water bar.  

So how do I rate this place.  I'm so torn because I want to put up a 2 Stars.  The meatballs were 4 stars but the front counter was 0 stars. I really have no idea which way to go.  I do know that I am glad I tried the sandwich.  The meatballs were amazing but the sandwich could have used a little more help.

Would I come back? Probably not.  The meatballs were good but I did not find myself craving them an hour later.  My goal was to try this sandwich and now my Belly Shack experience is complete.

I do recommend you try this place and see what everyone is raving about.  I just hope you find a happier front counter person because the first face in a restaurant should be a pleasant one and not Debbie Downer.

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  Wide shot of the Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich - stuffed with Somen Noodles, Korean Chili Paste & Mint

  Wide shot of the Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich - stuffed with Somen Noodles, Korean Chili Paste & Mint
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  The #3 - Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich - stuffed with Somen Noodles, Korean Chili Paste & Mint

  The #3 - Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich - stuffed with Somen Noodles, Korean Chili Paste & Mint
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  Sound proofing on the ceiling to keep the El noise down.

  Sound proofing on the ceiling to keep the El noise down.
• See all photos from Anthony M. for Belly Shack